Dr. Eli H. Newberger, 83, of Lenox, passed away at Craneville Place in Dalton on October 24, 2024. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on December 26, 1940, he was the son of the late Joseph and Helen Farber Newberger.
While in high school in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Dr. Newberger studied piano and organ at Juilliard School of Music and tuba with William Bell of the New York Philharmonic. As an undergraduate, he was a Scholar of the House in music at Yale University, where he also received his M.D. in 1966 and completed an internship in medicine in 1967.
Dr. Newberger married the former Carolyn Moore on May 31, 1962.
During the Vietnam War, Dr. Newberger served in the Peace Corps in Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso, as a member the of United States Public Health Service.
After his Peace Corps service, Dr. Newberger came to Boston Children’s Hospital for a pediatric residency and to complete a master’s degree in epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. During his residency he founded Boston Children’s Hospital’s child protection program and The Family Development Study, a federally funded program of teaching, clinical-research training and research, and an interdisciplinary clinic serving vulnerable children and their families, including the first domestic violence program in the country in a pediatric hospital.
Dr. Newberger was a member of the senior staff at Boston Children’s Hospital and of the faculty at Harvard Medical School for over 30 years. He also served as a national expert on cases of misdiagnosis of child abuse until his final illness and was the author of many publications, including the book “The Men They Will Become: The Nature and Nurture of Male Character,” published in 1999.
In addition to his career as a physician, Dr. Newberger was a renowned jazz musician. He recorded many albums with The New Black Eagle Jazz Band, and more recently with Eli and The Hot Six. He also founded The Cupcake Philharmonic Orchestra with BSO tubist Mike Roylance; his flutist wife Carolyn; and David Tripp, the son of Paul Tripp, the author of “Tubby the Tuba.” The Cupcake’s gigs prior to COVID included schools, libraries, and the family concert at Tanglewood.
During the past 12 years, Dr. Newberger has been devoted to founding and supporting Kids 4 Harmony, a youth development program of the western Massachusetts social service agency 18 Degrees. Bringing intense classical music training to children in under-resourced communities, Kids 4 Harmony offers pathways to growth, success, and satisfaction to the children it serves and their families. It was Dr. Newberger’s wish that any contributions made in his memory be made to Kids 4 Harmony.
Dr. Newberger is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Carolyn Newberger of Lenox; his daughter Mary-Helen Newberger Nsangou and husband Usmanou of Brookline, Mass.; two grandchildren; and his brother Henry Newberger and wife Patricia of Long Island, N.Y. He was predeceased by his sister Bett Kopit.
The family plans a celebration of Dr. Newberger’s life in the spring.
Editor’s note: The Berkshire Edge mourns the loss of Dr. Eli Newberger, our dear friend and contributor who, with his wife Carolyn, wrote brilliant reviews for The Edge of concerts at Tanglewood and performances at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.
